ABC Business Daily

Australia’s housing downturn is getting faster. Home values have now fallen for seven straight months, with capital city prices declining at the fastest pace of any housing downturn in four decades. But falling prices don’t automatically mean housing is becoming more affordable - borrowing capacity is shrinking, rents are still rising, and the equity picture looks very different depending on where and when you bought. And hanging over all of today's data from Cotality - tomorrow’s RBA decision, with markets betting another rate hike is an almost certainty. Carrington Clarke and ABC Business Reporter Steph Chalmers break it all down on ABC Business Daily. Got a burning business question? We'd love to hear your questions! If there’s business and economic news that has you stumped or you'd like further insight into, we're here to help. Send a short voice recording to Carrington and the team at abcbusinessdaily@abc.net.au and we'll attempt to answer it.

Snowy Hydro was meant to be one of Australia's biggest renewable energy projects. But the ambitious scheme has been hit by massive cost blowouts and delays, raising serious questions about how much taxpayers will ultimately have to pay. So what’s gone wrong with Snowy 2.0, and is the project still worth the price tag? Energy expert Bruce Mountain joins Carrington Clarke to unpack the spiralling costs, the engineering challenges and what the troubled project tells us about Australia's energy transition on ABC Business Daily. Got a burning business question? We'd love to hear your questions! If there’s business and economic news that has you stumped or you'd like further insight into, we're here to help. Send a short voice recording to Carrington and the team at abcbusinessdaily@abc.net.au and we'll attempt to answer it.

Around the world central bankers are grappling with how to deal with unwantedly high inflation. In recent days we’ve seen interest rate decisions in New Zealand, Canada and the US. So what can we learn from their decisions and deliberations - and in whose footsteps will the RBA follow next week? Carrington Clarke and ABC News Business Editor Michael Janda break it all down on ABC Business Daily. Got a burning business question? We'd love to hear your questions! If there’s business and economic news that has you stumped or you'd like further insight into, we're here to help. Send a short voice recording to Carrington and the team at abcbusinessdaily@abc.net.au and we'll attempt to answer it.

Inflation is still stubbornly high - and moreover accelerated in September - according to the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. So what’s costing Australian households the most? And with inflation well above the Reserve Bank’s comfort level, is a rate hike all but certain on Melbourne Cup Day? Lin Lin and Diana Mousina, Deputy Chief Economist at AMP break it all down on ABC Business Daily. Got a burning business question? We'd love to hear your questions! If there’s business and economic news that has you stumped or you'd like further insight into, we're here to help. Send a short voice recording to Carrington and the team at abcbusinessdaily@abc.net.au and we'll attempt to answer it.

It’s official: Anthropic has filed to go public. This means the AI giant may soon take its place as one of the most valuable companies on earth and become available for investors to trade. But after the Nasdaq’s worst fortnight since April, what risks still lap at the edges of this IPO excitement? Carrington Clarke and ABC's Chief Business Correspondent Ian Verrender break it all down on ABC Business Daily. Got a burning business question? We'd love to hear your questions! If there’s business and economic news that has you stumped or you'd like further insight into, we're here to help. Send a short voice recording to Carrington and the team at abcbusinessdaily@abc.net.au and we'll attempt to answer it.

The price of Brent Crude has spiked again, with prices climbing close to the highest levels seen since the start of the war as hostilities across the Middle East escalate. How is the Australian economy bearing these overseas shocks, as inflation continues to stubbornly sit at a rate higher than the RBA would like? And just what does it mean for the chances of a rate hike next week? We also answer a listener question. Carrington Clarke and ABC Business Reporter Steph Chalmers break it all down on ABC Business Daily. Got a burning business question? We'd love to hear your questions! If there’s business and economic news that has you stumped or you'd like further insight into, we're here to help. Send a short voice recording to Carrington and the team at abcbusinessdaily@abc.net.au and we'll attempt to answer it.

Violence is erupting on France's streets as economic pressures bite. Does the unrest signal a financial crisis is on the way? Plus, the US Federal Reserve meets next week and banks around the world - including the RBA - will be watching closely. Citigroup Global Chief Economist Nathan Sheets is a former Federal Reserve economist who also served at the US Treasury. ABC Business Daily's Carrington Clarke sat down with Dr Sheets at the Citi Investment Conference to unpack the outlook for France, the possibility of a global debt disasters, and what the Fed's decision could mean for America and the world. Got a burning business question? We'd love to hear your questions! If there’s business and economic news that has you stumped or you'd like further insight into, we're here to help. Send a short voice recording to Carrington and the team at abcbusinessdaily@abc.net.au and we'll attempt to answer it.

From plummeting property prices across capital cities to the very live possibility of a RBA rate hike early next month, there’s lots of economic changes for Australia’s financial institutions to digest. So are Australia’s banks ready to weather what lies ahead? And on the heels of National Australia Bank announcing a major restructure earlier this week, what does the future hold for Australia’s banking sector? Carrington Clarke and Brian Johnson, Senior Banks Analyst at MST Financial break it all down on ABC Business Daily. Got a burning business question? We'd love to hear your questions! If there’s business and economic news that has you stumped or you'd like further insight into, we're here to help. Send a short voice recording to Carrington and the team at abcbusinessdaily@abc.net.au and we'll attempt to answer it.

It’s a tale of a two-speed economy. China's economy surprised analysts on the upside in the September quarter - but the headline growth figure masks a widening divide. Industrial activity is powering ahead, while retail spending remains far more subdued - raising fresh questions about the strength of China’s consumer economy. So why are Chinese households still reluctant to spend? And as factories keep producing at pace, is China increasingly exporting its economic pressures to the rest of the world? Lin Lin is joined by Dan Wang, China Director with Eurasia Group to break it all down on ABC Business Daily. Got a burning business question? We'd love to hear your questions! If there’s business and economic news that has you stumped or you'd like further insight into, we're here to help. Send a short voice recording to Carrington and the team at abcbusinessdaily@abc.net.au and we'll attempt to answer it.

After a weekend of the worst civil unrest in decades in France, markets are nervously waiting to see what the political response will be - but where there's political ramifications, economic ones are also sure to follow. So is France the most precariously balanced domino on the global economic board right now? Meanwhile back home, one of the country’s biggest and most powerful companies – National Australia Bank – is cutting about six per cent of its workforce. It’s a move set to cause anguish for many of those directly impacted by cuts. But does it also tell us something about what could be on the cards for others working in finance? Carrington Clarke and ABC Chief Business Correspondent Ian Verrender break it all down on ABC Business Daily. You can read Ian's latest analysis here . Got a burning business question? We'd love to hear your questions! If there’s business and economic news that has you stumped or you'd like further insight into, we're here to help. Send a short voice recording to Carrington and the team at abcbusinessdaily@abc.net.au and we'll attempt to answer it.

The price of Brent Crude has taken another leg up, flirting with 110 US dollars a barrel over the weekend and pulling even greater focus onto how high energy costs are affecting the global economy. Meanwhile, Australia’s increasingly expensive public debt is putting pressure on government budgets. So is now the time for major tax reform? And would any major party be willing to test the idea of increasing the GST? Carrington Clarke and ABC News Business Editor Michael Janda break it all down on ABC Business Daily. Got a burning business question? We'd love to hear your questions! If there’s business and economic news that has you stumped or you'd like further insight into, we're here to help. Send a short voice recording to Carrington and the team at abcbusinessdaily@abc.net.au and we'll attempt to answer it.

Global markets are shifting, debt is getting more expensive, and the AI investment boom is showing signs of risk. So what's the big picture and where could the next crisis emerge? Macro strategist Gerard Minack joins us to unpack the forces shaping the global economy, from rising bond yields and the growing threat of a sovereign debt crisis to whether the billions pouring into AI will ever deliver the returns investors are banking on. Plus, we turn to Australia's housing market, where higher interest rates, changes to investment incentives and slowing population growth could create a perfect storm for house prices. What should investors be watching, and what do these shifts mean for the rest of us? On ABC Business Daily with Carrington Clarke, Gerard Minack cuts through the market noise to explain what matters and what could come next. Got a burning business question? Send a short voice recording to Carrington and the team at abcbusinessdaily@abc.net.au OR Got a burning business question? We'd love to hear your questions! If there’s business and economic news that has you stumped or you'd like further insight into, we're here to help. Send a short voice recording to Carrington and the team at abcbusinessdaily@abc.net.au and we'll attempt to answer it.

Fresh jobs figures from the ABS show worsening unemployment here in Australia. Meanwhile inflation is hotter than expected in the United States. So will these new numbers stay the Reserve Bank’s hand from hiking interest rates on Melbourne Cup Day? And what do minutes from the RBA’s last board meeting reveal about what the central bank thinks are the biggest risks right now? Carrington Clarke and ABC News Business Editor Michael Janda break it all down on ABC Business Daily. Got a burning business question? We'd love to hear your questions! If there’s business and economic news that has you stumped or you'd like further insight into, we're here to help. Send a short voice recording to Carrington and the team at abcbusinessdaily@abc.net.au and we'll attempt to answer it.

Despite rich resources and recent advancements in technology, why does Danielle Wood think the economy is still struggling to be more productive? The Productivity Commission Chair joins ABC Business Daily to weigh in on Australia’s productivity problem - workforce participation, population growth, the care economy, and AI’s role in stimulating growth. So, are we set on a path of stagnation where decent pay rises cause prices to rise? Or can we turn this ship around? Carrington Clarke and Danielle Wood, Chair of the Australian Productivity Comission, break it all down on ABC Business Daily. Got a burning business question? We'd love to hear your questions! If there’s business and economic news that has you stumped or you'd like further insight into, we're here to help. Send a short voice recording to Carrington and the team at abcbusinessdaily@abc.net.au and we'll attempt to answer it.

The cost of the Firmus fiasco continues to be counted, with Maas Group paying a heavy price for its connection to the Australian AI startup. So, how much wider is the pain likely to be felt across the economy? And where to now, for the biggest trade in global AI markets? Carrington Clarke and ABC Chief Business Correspondent Ian Verrender break it all down on ABC Business Daily. Got a burning business question? We'd love to hear your questions! If there’s business and economic news that has you stumped or you'd like further insight into, we're here to help. Send a short voice recording to Carrington and the team at abcbusinessdaily@abc.net.au and we'll attempt to answer it.

It was the 44 billion dollar float that flopped. AI startup Firmus has dramatically pulled the plug on what was supposed to be the second biggest listing in ASX history. So what went wrong? Who is left "holding the bag"? And what does the decision tell us about investor appetite for all things AI? Carrington Clarke and James Thomson, senior Chanticleer columnist at the Australian Financial Review, break it all down on ABC Business Daily. Got a burning business question? We'd love to hear your questions! If there’s business and economic news that has you stumped or you'd like further insight into, we're here to help. Send a short voice recording to Carrington and the team at abcbusinessdaily@abc.net.au and we'll attempt to answer it.

Booms, busts and everything in between — for more than half a century, finance journalist Alan Kohler has had a front-row seat to the Australian economy. For his final episode hosting That's Business, we're changing things up. Alan swaps the host's chair for the hot seat to reflect on what 50 years of reporting on money, markets and business has taught him. What were the best and worst economic policies of his time? What has Alan got wrong? And if he could start all over again — would he do anything differently? Carrington Clarke sits down with Alan Kohler to unpack it all on That's Business with Alan Kohler.

Migration is dominating the headlines, with the Coalition promising the biggest cut to immigration in Australia’s history — a policy opposition leader Angus Taylor has called "budget neutral". But what are the economic questions behind student visa numbers, skilled worker contributions, and pressures on the Australian property market? And just how should economics shape decisions about migration? Carrington Clarke and Professor Robert Breunig, Director of the Tax and Transfer Policy Institute at the ANU, break it all down on ABC Business Daily. Got a burning business question? We'd love to hear your questions! If there’s business and economic news that has you stumped or you'd like further insight into, we're here to help. Send a short voice recording to Carrington and the team at abcbusinessdaily@abc.net.au and we'll attempt to answer it.

It’s no surprise that people are feeling bad about the economy and their finances. But the latest look into consumer sentiment from the Westpac-Melbourne Institute’s index, reveals Australians are experiencing what the bank describes as a ‘cost-of-living nightmare.’ Meanwhile, you may have noticed the price of your morning cup of coffee has gone up as small businesses raise prices in the wake of the RBA’s surcharge ban. So what does the ban mean for businesses? And consumers? Carrington Clarke and ABC Business Reporter Lin Lin break it all down on ABC Business Daily. Got a burning business question? We'd love to hear your questions! If there’s business and economic news that has you stumped or you'd like further insight into, we're here to help. Send a short voice recording to Carrington and the team at abcbusinessdaily@abc.net.au and we'll attempt to answer it.

The Australian stock market could be set for its second biggest IPO in history, with Firmus, the data-centre builder and operator, looking to tap the market for billions. So does the business case stack up? Meanwhile, Australians across the country are adjusting to last week’s rate hike in an economy with inflation still higher than the RBA would like. The central bank says it hopes to avoid recession as it tries to tame price rises. But what lessons can be learned from previous economic cycles? Carrington Clarke and ABC Chief Business Correspondent Ian Verrender break it all down on ABC Business Daily. You can check out Ian's recent analysis pieces on Firmus and recession talk . Got a burning business question? We'd love to hear your questions! If there’s business and economic news that has you stumped or you'd like further insight into, we're here to help. Send a short voice recording to Carrington and the team at abcbusinessdaily@abc.net.au and we'll attempt to answer it.